SLIPPERY ROCK — Results from the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement show that Slippery Rock University students consistently rate their experience higher than students attending other institutions.

NSSE involves surveying randomly chosen first-year students and seniors. Students are asked a series of questions about their level of involvement in certain activities that show a high correlation to five learning benchmarks, including student-faculty interaction and academic challenge.

Freshman SRU students recorded scores that were statistically higher than their respective peer institutions in all five categories and exceeded the national average of all participating NSSE institutions in three of five categories — active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction and enriching educational experience.

Seniors at Slippery Rock University recorded responses higher than peer institutions in all five categories and exceeded the national average of all participating NSSE institutions in four of the five categories — level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction and supportive learning environment.

Slippery Rock University students also outpaced their peers in the area of community service or volunteer work with 72 percent reporting that they had participated in such activities compared to only 59 percent in the total NSSE sample.